Lakefront Anniversary Ale

Formerly brewed at Lakefront Brewery
Style: American Strong Ale
Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA

Ruby red beer with minimal head, one would hope that a brewer would be able to put out something more "earth-shattering" after 20 years in his/her craft. This was tasted at 3pm at the AZ Strong Beer Festival...and perhaps, the other "assaults" on my palate made this beer seem "dull" but nothing stood out. Toffee, caramel, citrus, etc., etc., etc...when searching the shelves, search somewhere else.

Happy 20th Anniversary, Lakefront Brewery! Many, many more!
Their anniversary ale pours a dark brownish amber, slightly hazed, with a rocky ecru head that leaves webs of lacing behind. Odd aroma. At first it’s soapy & yeasty, then some dusty caramel chimes in, there’s some pine and light traces of grapefruit, and some softened brown spices drift in & out. More interesting than pleasurable. All of the aroma is represented in the flavor, the malts taking a stronger role. A juicy fruitiness is added along with an earthy/herbal bitterness that lingers on the tongue. All in all, an interesting brew, although I’m not sure that I’ll be repeating it.

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22oz bottle. Pours reddish amber, with a moderate sized tan head. Hops are at the forefront of the aroma, with pine needles, toffee, and some citrus. Flavor starts out with sweet caramel malt and some tropical fruit, then gives way to piney hop bitterness and some spice. Long, moderately bitter finish. Decent enough strong ale, but nothing exceptional.

Pours deep coppery, going toward ruby at the edges, with off-white head. Interesting aroma of caramel malt, heavy hops, and I get some spices in this; perhaps cinnamon and nutmeg. The palate is complex with some unique flavors prssented, including the aforementioned caramel malt, hops, mild fruit, definite spicy notes, and some berry notes at the finish.

Pours a deep amber color. Aroma is of light fruit and laundry detergent. Taste of light fruit and again, laundry detergent. This beer tastes and smells of freshly washed laundry that is hung out to dry. It’s not bad, just not something I would want to have all the time.

Pours an amber color with a medium frothy head and tons of white lacing. Aroma is like a barley wine, with some citrus and toffee poking through. Taste is sticky, toffee, hoppy, with a hint of the barley wine style.

20th anniversary beer. Hoppy nose, more pine than grapefruit. Finishes on a malty note and leaves a very hoppy burp! Not particularly distinguished in a crowded field of American strong ales.

22oz bottle. Poured a deep ruby color, thin, faint head. Aroma was hoppy, spicy, with some citrus peeking through. Flavor was quite a stew of things...toffee, caraway, stewed vegetables. Juicy aftertaste, with a very strong alcohol flavor. Nothing mild about this brew, but for some reason it goes down smoothly. Strange...